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Albany Bureau Chief

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The Occupy Wall Street movement faced increased pressure Tuesday as New York City and Albany cracked down on protesters camped in local parks.

Early Tuesday, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg called in police to clear Zuccotti Park of protesters, saying the encampment became a public safety issue.

"No right is absolute, and with every right comes responsibilities," Bloomberg said in a statement. "First Amendment gives every New Yorker the right to speak out, but it does not give anyone the right to sleep in a park or otherwise take it over to the exclusion of others — nor does it permit anyone in our society to live outside the law."

Hundreds of police officers in riot gear raided the encampment, evicted hundreds of protesters, and then demolished the tent city. The police action began around 1 a.m. and lasted several hours as officers with batons and plastic shields pushed the protesters from their base.

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said about 200 people were arrested, including dozens who tried to resist the eviction by linking arms in a tight circle at the center of the park.

By 4:30 a.m., the park was empty, wiped clean of any traces of the camp that had been there since Sept. 17.

Protesters were allowed back into the park two by two Tuesday evening. They each could take only a small bag. No sleeping bags or tents were allowed.

Occupy Wall Street protesters sought a court order to return to camping at the park, but their effort was rejected by a state Supreme Court justice Tuesday afternoon.

"We are creating space for community, values, ideas and a level of meaningful dialogue that is absent in the present discourse," the protesters said in a statement.

Support wanes

A poll Tuesday showed a decline in public support for Occupy Wall Street.

By a 66 percent to 31 percent margin, New York voters said that the Occupy Wall Street movement does not represent 99 percent of people, according to a Siena College poll. But the poll said that by a 57 percent to 40 percent margin, protesters should be allowed to occupy public parks 24 hours a day.

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Voters had a 45 percent to 44 percent favorable view of the movement, down from 49 percent to 38 percent in a Siena poll last month.

By a 58 percent to 37 percent margin, voters believed that the Occupy Wall Street movement does not have a clear message, Tuesday's poll found. The poll of 803 New York registered voters was conducted Nov. 8 through Sunday and had a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.

Upstate protests

Cities across the state have been handling the Occupy protesters differently.

In recent days, state police have been arresting protesters connected to the Occupy Albany movement. Protesters have been trying to set up camp on a state-owned park near the Capitol, but Gov. Andrew Cuomo vowed to arrest anyone who stayed in the park past an 11 p.m. curfew.

On Monday night, 20 protesters were arrested, and 58 people have been arrested since Saturday. Before then, protesters had stayed in a city-owned portion of the park, where city officials pledged not to arrest them.

Sheila Fitzgerald, 24, of Troy, said she's been staying overnight at Occupy Albany on and off and was arrested Saturday.

"I think that kicking us out will only make us stronger. I think that's only going to make Occupy Wall Street stronger," she said.

Meanwhile, some cities have worked out arrangements to let demonstrators stay in public parks. Binghamton, Rochester and Buffalo have let protesters camp in public areas.

"They have been a very peaceful group," City of Buffalo spokesman Mike DeGeorge said.

On Monday, Occupy Buffalo protesters marched to police headquarters to thank police and held signs that included "We Love Buffalo Police."

In Binghamton, protesters Monday marked their first month of encampment in a city-owned green space. Mayor Matthew Ryan said he has no plans to force their removal. There are about 17 tents set up in the park.

"We have not required a permit as long as there are no issues pertaining to safety, sanitation and access," city spokesman Andrew Block said.

Rochester and Occupy Rochester leaders reached an agreement last week to let protesters stay in a portion of the city-owned Washington Square Park through Jan. 11, but the agreement could be extended. Initially, the city apprehended anyone who stayed in the park past 11 p.m., leading to 50 arrests over several days.

Unions are organizing a rally in the Rochester park at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday to protest Cuomo's plan to let higher income taxes on the wealthy expire at year's end.

"Now it is time to return to our main message: that we are the 99 percent, that millionaires must pay their fair share, that corporations have become vastly too powerful, and that we must restore our country for all its people," said Bruce Popper, executive vice president of the Rochester & Genesee Valley Area Labor Federation.